Local Punk Video Showcase (Part 1)

Witha  slower fall season, and following our formal introduction of all punk subgenres into our coverage, it's high time we begin sharing some archive YouTube videos from local (non-hardcore) punk bands and concerts on the site! To avoid future repeats of these features, these looks at older punk videos will be centered around YouTube channels that have less than 50% of their content being SMS-fitting, so we can save more substantial channels for our YouTube Channel Profile Series each month. You'll notice some trends and recurring artists due to the amount of videos from certain acts, but I hope to have a punk video showcase at least once a week for the next while. So, what's up first?

Randomly organizing this week's chosen videos, we'll start with prolific local punk musician Mikey Hawdon's YouTube channel, which will absolutely recur in these showcases over the coming weeks, as his channel is loaded with older videos of his local punk bands! We'll start though with Mikey's solo performance clips, as he's posted vocal & guitar covers and originals alike off and on since 2008, which you can see at this link (just look for thumbnails that just have him with good lighting.) Most of Mikey's solo videos are of acoustic Green Day covers, which he definitely knows very well given his work fronting the Green Day tribute The Dookies, though his earlier videos include renditions of Screeching Weasels & All songs, and assorted originals (I think) like "Outta My Head" & "So Wonderful", among many others. Fans should know Mikey's talents by now as both a drummer and frontman, and he channels his singing and guitar work nicely on his solo videos, though the video quality does improve on later clips.

Click here to give Mikey's solo performance videos a look, though be sure to scroll down, as he's only posted one cover since 2011 (a cover of Green Day's "Going To Pasalaqua" from earlier this year.) Embedded below is a well viewed cover of Green Day's "Having A Blast" from 2008 that is predictably well done, so if you like Mikey's work as a singer & guitarist, be sure to check out his solo videos!



Next is another band that will recur in our punk video showcases, and Mikey's a member of this band too, that being local/Toronto celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide! With their extensive touring of recent years, they have a solid amount of YouTube videos, with four such clips coming from the YouTube channel of Salads bassist Chuck Dailey, via a DJRT concert in Toronto in December 2010 where they opened for White Cowbell Oklahoma. The videos are of a fiddle-driven instrumental, their song "Alright", and a surprise (incomplete) cover of The Regents' "Barbara Ann", but embedded below is the guys playing their song "Time Well Spent". Shot close to the stage, the lighting is dark aside from the band, which creates a nice mood, and the audio quality is pretty good as well! Like before, their unique hybrid style plays well on these videos, with a nice ethnic feel to contrast the punk attitude, so give Chuck's videos of The Rising Tide a look!



Among assorted other punk videos to watch for in our punk showcases, here's two linked older punk originals from two different local bands, courtesy of Algoma bassist Kevin Campbell's YouTube channel! Kevin uploads a lot of old independent punk and hardcore albums (local and otherwise) there, including a 1995 compilation CD named "Punk: The Next Generation" released by Barely Legal Records that featured Canadian punk bands, two of which were from the Soo! One of the songs is "Good Enuff" by Room 206, which is a solid song with a catchy hook, but the vocals almost sound like they're being sung through a telephone. The other local track is "Change To Hate" by defunct local punk rockers The Spigots, whose lineup in the book "Going Underground" featured singer Trevor Harding, guitarist Jeff Nisbet, bassist Frank Guidoccio, and drummer Jeffery Osbourne. Entertaining skate punk song with good aggressive vocals, but I can't say I like the drum beat in the chorus between the gang vocals, which sounds too artificial.

Kevin;s channel is full of interesting songs and albums from obscure independent punk bands, so give everything a look above, including the whole compilation album that Room 206 & The Spigots are on, which even features a song from The Ripcordz, and here's The Spigots' "Change To Hate"!



Finally, here's a video relating to Juno-nominated local/Toronto indie punk legends Treble Charger, who will also recur in these showcases, as they have a ton of YouTube videos! This, however, is an interview with frontman Greig Nori and guitarist Bill Priddle by Vanessa Vai & Vanessa Markov of Toronto's Hits 'N Giggles Radio in March 2012, so what's discussed therein? Conducted shortly after their reunion, Greig & Bill discuss their return show in Toronto and the response from it, why they chose to reunite, their future live & recording plans at the time, their music work since the band's original breakup, their favourite places to play, the impact of digital media on their music and discovering bands, their favourite current musicians, and how they had fun on the road (including pranks.) It's an informative and fun interview that covers both contemporary issues and stuff from Treble Charger's past, though note that there's no direct references to the Soo. Definitely worth a watch for fans of Treble Charger, so give Greig & Bill's 2012 interview a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

New Archive Concert Videos, The End Of Docks, And More!!

Let's get a new news post up on this Tuesday evening, including some assorted recent notes, an archive concert video from a couple years back, and a recent concert venue closure, but first, here's a new video upload from a major metal show that we enjoyed over seven years ago!

Courtesy of AlgomA bassist Kevin Campbell's YouTube channel, this video is of defunct metal supergroup Heaven & Hell playing the Black Sabbath classic "Computer God" at The Essar Centre (then known as The Steelback Centre) on March 20th, 2007, and it's great to see another video from this show! Note that Kevin credits them as Black Sabbath in the video, as this was the "Mob Rules" era lineup, but they toured and recorded as Heaven & Hell. As preceded by Vinny Appice's drum solo, this is a nice video, and though Kevin wasn't too close to the stage, he used the zoom on his camera to good effect on this solid rendition of one of the better songs on the "Dehumanizer" album! I stand by this being the best concert to ever hit the arena on a musical basis (Kiss topped it theatrically), and I'll always be grateful that I got to see Ronnie James Dio live before his passing. I wonder if Kevin has any more footage from this event? Check out the full clip below!



Next up, we appear to have lost another local concert venue, as Docks Riverfront Grill re-opened earlier this month as Waterfront Legend, a new higher-end Chinese buffet restaurant. The Foster Drive location was quietly sold to new owner Imee Yeun on May 1st, and had operated as Docks briefly over the summer before the relaunch, though the venue hasn't hosted an advertised band since classic rockers Redline played there in late March. According to a new SooToday article on the overhaul from Michael Purvis, the main dining area is mostly unchanged, and the bar's still there, but there's Asian art and effects, new lighting, and buffet tables in place of the pool tables. Given the changes, it seems very unlikely that live bands will be in the cards for Waterfront Legend, which will be disappointing for old Docks regulars, as it was a nice venue that played host to numerous cover bands over the years!

We have moved Docks to our defunct local venue links under it's Facebook page (as it's website was closed), and if you like Chinese food and buffets, give Waterfront Legend a chance! I had heard rumours for a while regarding Docks' ownership and changes, and the lack of recent band bookings had also been noticeable, but hopefully old regulars there find steady places to play in the near future! Best of luck to all former Docks employees!

Also today, here's another older YouTube video of local classic/hard rock cover band Havadder, as we slowly get up to speed concerning their older videos that we never addressed on here! Courtesy of a February 2012 concert at The Nicolet Tavern (now The Rednecks Saloon), this was uploaded to the band's own YouTube channel at the time, and remains the only upload there. Featuring their 2011-2012 Turner Up-hybrid lineup, then-bassist (and recent live guest) Travis Sharpe handles lead vocals on this cover of The Foo Fighters' "These Days" alongside guitarists Jason Roy (Havadder's founder & usual frontman), Jason Nisbet, and Robert Brown, and drummer Scott McLurg. It's a well done cover shot from a good central angle of the stage, but Travis doesn't have the right force on the chorus vocals. Check it out below though, and stay tuned for more from Havadder, new and old!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Likely stemming from a prior musician search in May, Social Suicide alum Anthony Boudreau is again looking for a rhythm guitarist for his new local band that would play hard rock & hair metal inspired by the likes of Avenged Sevenfold & Guns 'N Roses, with originals and covers planned. If you're interested, message Anthony at this link (or fellow member Damon King) on Facebook with media of you playing the song of your choice, and click here for more info!
• Former State of Misery drummer Nick Kainula is again looking to join a new local band, citing "any music from the '80s up" and Motley Crue as his biggest influences. Right now, he just wants to jam, but would love to play shows too. It'd be nice to see him back in an active band, but if you're interested in jamming with him, message Nick at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from September 5th!
• I have removed Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie's Sound X solo project from our band links for two reasons. One is that he hasn't posted public updates concerning the project since late last year, and the other is that the link we had for Sound X (Curt's solo music page) has not tended to focus on this project over his more active band work. Hopefully he revisits his solo work soon though, and stay tuned for more on Haggith's new CDs!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews soon, plus this month's poll and last month's poll results on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Stiffler's Mom), AlgomA's CD Release, And More!!

Aside from this past weekend's concerts, news has been fairly slow over the last while, but let's cover most of our cache today! We have some new searches via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, a new song, details on an upcoming album release, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month!

Veteran local classic/hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, September 27th where they'll take a rare opening slot for an out of town act, that being Britain/Vancouver pop rock artist Kieran Strange! Note that while Stiffler's Mom haven't confirmed this show yet on their pages, Kieran Strange has plugged it among her Canadian tour dates this month via her Facebook page, and the marquee board inside The Rockstar Bar advertises both acts for the 27th. Kieran Strange plays a self-described "nerd rock" style that references nerdy pop culture amongst her techno & pop-inspired rock originals, so while her music isn't "heavy", she has a fun and upbeat sound, so don't pass her by later this month! For Stiffler's Mom, this will be their first public gig in over a month, so look for their hard hitting party rock to set the tone in just under two weeks! A $5 cover is likely, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is to be expected. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for potential updates!

Next up, we finally have some release details for local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA's debut CD "Reclaimed By The Forest", so what should you know? According to label Deadbeat Media, the album will officially be released on Wednesday, October 8th, though similarly to Woods of Ypres' later discs, the North American release will apparently come at a later date to be specified, given that Deadbeat Media are based in Malaysia. To hype the release, a teaser video was posted online by the label that features samples of the songs (including the previously revealed "Fell Down A Well") along with a new image from the packaging that we haven't seen before, and a brief clip of AlgomA's set at Dank Fest at The Oddfellows Hall, though the live audio isn't featured. It's also unclear what kind of a release "Reclaimed By The Forest" will have in terms of local in-store availability, or if there will be a proper CD release show, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! Exciting times are afoot for AlgomA, so check the above links for more, and here's the teaser video!



Also today, here's a new ultra-short original song from local goregrind duo Rotopsy! Uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Friday, it's simply titled "No One Gives A Fuck" (they titled it, not me), and at just 7 seconds in length, it's barely needs describing. If you like Crucify The Whore's "Batch Cones", this will be similar! Also featuring four slideshow pictures, check out their new song if you want below, and stay tuned for more from the Rotopsy camp!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last little while, all via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie is looking for a local metal band to open for them and Livid & The Bloodthirsty at The Algonquin Pub on October 18th for The Bear Hunters' CD release party, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post yesterday. The selected band would start at 10:00 PM, and would be slotted for an hour at the show's beginning. Sounds like a big opportunity, so if your band wants in, message Mitch at this link!
• Danger Cats drummer "Calico" Katie Maskell is exploring the idea of forming a full ska punk band that would have a horn section, with bands like The Aquabats & Streetlight Manifesto among her influences. With bands like The 12 Gauge Ready and Free Beer split up, we could always use some extra ska around here, so message Katie at this link for more info, or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week!
• A local musician named Kiefer Barone is looking to jam with other musicians, with 1980s hard rock, heavy metal, and hardcore cited among his target genres. I'm unfamiliar with his music background, but if you want more information, message Kiefer at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from September 7th!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and features this week! Thanks everyone!

Hardcore Homecoming Review!!

It's now about time for our review of last night's Hardcore Homecoming concert at The Rockstar Bar! If you missed out, you'll have missed a packed house, quite possibly the biggest I've seen at this venue this year, but crowd levels on the floor did fluctuate, especially early on. Also, in case you weren't as familiar with Random Killing going in, the banner of Mr. Magoo with a mohawk was theirs, and it's a logo they've used for some time, As a classic cartoon fan, I always get a kick out if it! Now, here's a recap of all 5 bands! (Updated on Monday at 11:51 AM)

Opening last night's concert with an abbreviated set was local funk/alternative quartet The Elements in their first local concert appearance in 4 months (Hempfest in Moonbeam notwithstanding), and they had a solid set after a quiet summer! Bookending covers of Volbeat and Metallica with ska and funk rock renditions, the guys do seem to be gaining more chemistry and confidence as a whole, with Jesse Cook impressing as usual on guitar, though Rob Speers' singing was sometimes hard to hear volume-wise over the band. Their "Master of Puppets" cover was a pleasant surprise, and while it did have some rough patches (Rob mentioned this was the second time they've played it), it was still very well done! It'd have been nice to see The Elements play longer, and honestly, I think the metal songs were a bit out of place given the setting, but it was nice to see them back, and hopefully they play again sooner or later!

Despite being one of two out of town bands, London hardcore punk rockers Gatgas played second last night, but friends of bassist Bob Bromley Jr. (ex-Harsh Heads) and Garry Ingram (ex-Fistmagnet) didn't mind, as they were able to welcome these former Saultites back home with a rousing reception to their hard hitting set! For reference sake, note that while Gatgas are listed as a quintet on their Facebook page, guitarist Corey Shipp was not at the show last night, though I'm not sure whether he couldn't make the trip or isn't in the band anymore. Regardless, Gatgas delivered a brutal set of covers and originals for fans in their local debut, with a solid aggression level coupled with an increased presence of people on the floor to take everything in! Jack Gibbons' vocals are actually improved in a live setting and have more force behind them, and his brother Brian laid down some entertaining punk riffs on songs like "Call In Drunk" & "Out of Time". Very fun set for the old school punk fans in attendance, and hopefully Bob & Garry bring Gatgas back home at some point!

Third at Hardcore Homecoming was local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet in their first local concert appearance in nine months, and despite the wait, they were up to their usual tricks with an explosive set of their own originals and covers! Though the guys did have some rough stretches and flubbed notes, the attitude and intensity of their 2012-2013 concert was back in full force on originals like Truly Infected" & "End Me" and on covers like "Let's Drink Some Beer", so long time fans were in good hands! Mike Hull could be hard to hear vocally, but his chaotic stage presence helped a lot, and everyone kept up well through their fast and furious set, including steady rhythm from drummer Matt Waples, so the vibe of an old school 1990s hardcore punk show was kept alive for sure! Backing that up, Mike handed over the mic to Gatgas' Garry Ingram mid-set so he could rejoin some of his old Fistmagnet bandmates for a rousing cover of "Evil God Hater", surely a highlight of the night, and encouraging some of the best moshing too!

Co-headlining was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in their first local concert set since their EP release show in May, though due to delays and time constraints, their set was limited to just the songs on said EP, plus "Frederick" & "Crossorads". Even still, fans were in for a good time, and guitarist Jesse Cook even got into the spirit of things by breaking out an old school prisoner costume!  Despite the rushed nature, everyone was on form from past gigs, with J.D. Pearce's singing as strong as ever, Justin Lam killing it on bass, and Johnny Belanger performing up to their breakneck speed on drums, so fans had nothing to worry about! Of course, seeing a longer set (and their SNFU and Misfits covers) would have been nice, but we'll get other chances to see them, and I'd say the stage was effectively jacked last night!

And of course, your headlining band was Toronto punk quartet Random Killing in their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie for the first time in at least a decade, and like with Gatgas, we had a homecoming here too, as frontman Andrew "Drool" Kiteley also returned home for this concert, but did they deliver? Yes! Of course, I can't speak for the good times and events of the 1990s (such as their Club Princess events), but Andrew and company knocked out classic songs like "Powerplay", "Thoughts of Aggression", and "Patios & Beer" with aggression and intensity, though I could argue that Andrew had more energy than the rest of the band, stage presence-wise. Bassist Jim "Mudd" Moore kept the low end in good form throughout though, and John "Robber" Moore kept the rhythm up too, amidst an intense set that had many fans flashing back to the good old days! Solid set, and I can definitely see what all the fuss was about, so hopefully Random Killing come back soon!

Excellent show, and kudos to J.D. for putting everything on once again! Of course, I can't compare to shows that took place when I was a kid, but from seeing Destroilet over the years, and from seeing last night's out of town bands, I definitely have more of a sense of some of the good times this scene saw in the 1990s, and hopefully things are built on from here on the punk end!  Check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and I hear SooToday/Local2 AND the Sault This Week were on hand, so we eagerly await their coverage too! And yes, I did get videos, so here's The Elements covering Sublime's "Same In The End", Gatgas playing "Back To The Asylum", Destroilet covering Fistmagnet's "Evil God Hater" (with Garry Ingram) and then playing "Over 'N Over", Jack Spades playing "Breakneck Speed", and Random Killing playing "Situation Normal"!











That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, featuring at least one new concert to announce at The Rockstar Bar! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), The Return Of IDNS, And More!!

Before we head off to Hardcore Homecoming TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, we have a new news post on this Saturday afternoon, including a new concert video, a look at a recently released local punk CD, and info on an upcoming private concert, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Halloween season!

Kinross hard/classic rock trio Banned have confirmed a new concert weekend for Friday, October 31st (Halloween) and Saturday, November 1st, as they'll be returning to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Among their concerts from their Facebook page's newest calendar post, these two shows were the only ones that weren't previously announced within an hour of the Soo, and join shows at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in December, and preceding gigs in Gould City and Curtis that are just out of our range. As best as I can tell, these will be Banned's first shows in St. Ignace of 2014, and their first with new bassist Wayne Lawrence, so if you've missed them down that direction, keep the Halloween weekend in mind, and I'm sure costumes are encouraged! For clarity's sake, Kewadin's entertainment page still lists that weekend as "to be announced", so it hasn't been updated recently. Admission should be free for these 9:00 PM concerts, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, check the above links, and if you're in the area, catch Banned in Gould City tonight!

Next up, another private concert event at the site of Das Bunkerfest will go down on September 23rd (one week from Tuesday), and while we don't often address events without a public address unless there's some big hype for them, this one even has a preview video online for it, so I've gotta mention it! The Facebook event page indicates that Toronto crust punk quartet IDNS will return through our area on the 23rd, with local support from local doom metal trio Algoma (whose frontman Darby Wigwaus is putting on the event), The Bear Hunters (in their last announced gig before the CD release show), and local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (in a rare appearance at a show not promoted by frontman J.D. Pearce), and that's a solid lineup for sure! Now, the event page lists Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig in Garden River as the host venue, but that appears to be a placeholder, as every other post indicates that the Das Bunkerfest host site will also put this one on, and Darby says "you'll know the address when you need to", so follow the above links for the future address reveal.

Nice to see IDNS coming back so soon after their Oddfellows Hall gig, and hopefully their intense crust and hardcore punk sound goes over well again, this time in Das Bunker! The teaser video for the concert was uploaded to Darby's YouTube channel yesterday, and it resembles their early teaser clips by using photos and effects in front of background audio (from a show, in this case.) Here, it's confirmed that this event will have a $5 admission, it will be ALL AGES (but dry), and pop, chips, and VHS tapes will be on sale. Keep it in mind for September 23rd, check out the teaser video, and follow the event page for directions when it comes time!



Also today, a new video of local/St. Catharine's grimecore trio Shit Liver is online, courtesy of an attendee of their show opening for Killitorous in St. Catharine's earlier this week! Nicely edited multi-camera HD clip of 4 minutes of original fury (complete with logos and film grain), Shit Liver sound really good here, and if you missed Mike's mohawk, look what's back! This is one of the better Shit Liver videos that I've seen, so give it a look below!



Finally for today, here's an overdue look at the contents of the new Telephone & Address CD "Need Not Apply"! Released through Harmisntus Productions at the IDNS show last week, the SOCAN registered CD (initially printed in 100 copies) is largely packaged similarly to his prior "Rotten EP", with a cardboard case, ink stamped art, and a business card saying "I Am With You", though along with a name and website tag on a second. This is the front artwork, which slightly varied from copy to copy, while the inside features repeated dollar signs, the word "Problems", and the number 888. In order, the songs are "Opener", "Coming Down", "Perfect Circle", "General Strike", "Anthem", "Army of Losers", "Yulp" (I hope I have that spelled right), "Back To The Beginning", "Brace Yourself", "Commercial", "Forged A Heart", "Go To Hell", "The Way It Goes", "Untitled", and "WW3", and if the song title is linked, it's to it's upload on Telephone & Address' Soundcloud page. You may have heard project leader Chris Shoust play many of these songs at the IDNS show, but the recent Soundcloud song "Anthem to the Queen" did not make the cut.

Like at the release concert, this CD is entirely based around bass & vocal-centric punk/grunge originals, so if you liked what you heard there, you should like "Need Not Apply"! Copies are $15 (that's $1 a song) at future concerts and presumably through direct contact with Chris at the above links, but when can you expect a review of this CD on the site? Perhaps this month, though with Northwest's EP also in the wings, I have to make a choice on one or the other soon (but it's definitely coming!) Stay tuned for updates, and I'll see you guys at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT for Hardcore Homecoming with Random Killing! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Brains), New SweetKenny Songs, And Much More!!

With weekend concert previews now taken care of, we can touch on some recent news and notes today, including a pile of shorter items, new media from a regional guitarist, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!

Montreal psychobilly quartet The Brains will return to the Soo for a belated Halloween weekend concert on Sunday, November 2nd at The Rockstar Bar! Coming almost a year after their most recent local stop at the same venue, The Brains are fairly frequent sights as out of town bands go, and their unique blend of horror punk and rockabilly should go over well once again in November, so keep this show in mind to end the Halloween season with! Besides, how often will you see a punk band this year with a stand-up bass? Joining them at this show will be fellow Montreal punk rockers Boids, who have more of a traditional punk sound, but will impress with their varied influences and catchy melodies, so don't miss them on November 2nd either! A local opening band is to be announced, and it should be noted that promoter J.D. Pearce was looking for bands different from ones playing the Gob and Halloween Party shows a few days prior that he's also promoting, so we'll have to see who gets added! This will be a 19+ concert, a $10 admission fee is in place (no word on advance tickets yet), and everything is slated to begin at 9:00 PM.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With Gob, The Brains, and Frightlight's farewell now confirmed for J.D.'s Halloween concert slate at The Algonquin Hotel's bars, he's definitely stacking the deck for the season, so be sure not to miss out on this late October spree of great concerts! Stay tuned for updates on all 3 as we hear them!

Next up, we have some new original songs from Dafter, Michigan solo rocker Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, courtesy of his YouTube channel and a new online page of his! In recent days, Ken has been posting songs on Spreaker, a music networking site that specializes in podcasts and radio shows, but can also host individual music too. New tracks named "Mustang", "Crud", and (as embedded below) "Can It Be (Guitar Confusion)" can now be streamed there or on linked YouTube video uploads, and while it is presumed that they'll be on SweetKenny's upcoming album "Amazonian", this isn't explictly stated. As we hope to review a new SweetKenny album early next year, we'll hold on comments on these songs for the time being, but long time fans should check these songs out for more classic-tinged hard rock! Check out "Can It Be" below, and hear more at the above links!



Finally for today, here's six shorter recent news items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or event name:

• Habitat Shuffle/ex-Free Beer guitarist Dustin Goodall is looking to join or form a band that would play old hardcore and indie music inspired by the likes of Fugazi, Refused, and Brand New. As he described it, such a band would have "eclectic taste that, despite being badass, is completely unmarketable." Interesting plans, but if you're up to jam with Dustin, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
• Local pop punk/screamo project For July have posted a new song named "The Truth" onto their Soundcloud page! Self-described as a "work in progress", it has the upbeat energy of many of their older songs, and some catchier hooks, so give it a look above, and stay tuned for more updates on For July!
• Local punk (but don't call them that) trio The Fury are officially defunct again, as confirmed in a recent personal conversation with frontman Paul Stanghetta. He commented on musical differences with new members as part of the reason, but you could consider The Apocalypse Afterparty as successors, given that they cover Fury songs live, and that Steve Mozarowski was briefly The Fury's drummer this year. Fans will best remember their high octane bass & drum sets from 2009-2011 compared to their barely launched 2014 reunion, but give them a listen all the same, and best of luck to all former members!
• A drummer named Phil Grecks (possibly a nickname for former Role Models drummer Phil Greco) is looking to form a new original local band that would play heavy, melodic, and sometimes fast songs, citing Nonpoint, Starset, and Nothing More as possible influences. Sounds intriguing, but if you're interested in trying out or getting more info, message Phil at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
• Local crust/death metal trio Shit Liver are staying busy in their new home of St. Catharines, having played a gig there on Tuesday opening for Killitorous, and being scheduled for another show there on October 3rd where they'll open for Life Problems in a fundraiser for a beloved dog's surgery. Good to see the guys playing often, and hopefully we'll see them back north in short order too!
• This year's sixth annual Soo Zombie Walk will return to being scheduled the week before Halloween on Saturday, October 25th, though it will still be based at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre for a second straight year, as per this year's Facebook event page. What we don't know is whether the expanded afternoon band lineup at the museum will return, or if the afterparty will regain it's prior non-acoustic format in it's place, but when we hear more regarding the band situation this year, we will let you guys know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, if all goes according to plan! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Now on the site, we're mostly focusing on this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews in our area, but we also have a new performance video to check out at the end, so let's kick things off with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder will return to The Rednecks Saloon for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, frontman Jason Roy just announced these shows on their Facebook event page on Tuesday. That link indicates that last month's fill-in performers (former bassist Travis Sharpe & Flat Stanley drummer Glen Thomas) will return this weekend as "special guests" alongside former Amethyst drummer Phil Temporao, though given that all current Havadder members are confirmed attendees, this will likely be the band's first live weekend with their full current lineup since July. Havadder are also teasing new covers to debut in their set this weekend, so keep that angle in mind if you're at the former Nicolet Tavern for the action! There's no announced cover charge for these next two gigs, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are announced. For more details, check the above links, and for a preview, here's a new video discovery of Havadder from earlier this year!

Courtesy of guitarist Jamie July's YouTube channel in March, this is a sample video of clips of the band covering numerous songs at a Rednecks Saloon concert, though given the poor audio quality, it's hard to pick out the songs, especially early on (though you can hear Jamie sing lead on some.) Shot from a side stage angle, it's a nice glimpse of the current lineup, if you can get past the muffled covers, so give it a look below, and have at her this weekend!



Moving to previously announced concerts, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will enter his 41st straight week of acoustic solo concerts at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Now over nine months into his ongoing run at the former Madison's Pub, Tym will once again host and play at their Friday jam night tomorrow before headlining his own solo concert on Saturday, and his talented unplugged hard rock covers will not be in short supply on either night, so if you're up for a quieter but still rocking night of music, keep his Harp returns in mind for this weekend! Like the Havadder gigs, admission should be free for this weekend's gigs, you must be 19 to attend, and there are announced 10:00 PM start times each night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be another dependably strong weekend in Tym's Harp arrangement, so don't miss out on this weekend's central entertainment, and here he is at Mill Square last year!



Last but certainly not least for this weekend's heavier/punk concerts is Hardcore Homecoming at The Rockstar Bar, a hardcore punk concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT to be headlined by the long awaited return of notable Toronto punk rockers Random Killing! Fronted by the Soo's own Andrew "Drool" Kiteley, some readers may remember Random Killing fondly from a number of high profile local concert appearances in the 1990s, but it's been some time since they've grace a local stage, so get ready for an intense homecoming for Random Killing and their hard hitting punk classics on Saturday! Support will include local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (in their first local concert appearance since May's EP release show), local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet (making their first live appearance of 2014, shockingly), the Soo debut of London hardcore punk quintet Gatgas (a homecoming of their own for Saulites Bob Bromley Jr. and Garry Ingram), and local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (also returning to the local stage for the first time since May), so we have a stacked lineup for sure at Hardcore Homecoming that's full of bands that we haven't just seen!

Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this show has a 9:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit, and tickets are $15 in advance at the Algonquin Hotel or Rad Zone, or $20 at the door. Quantities are limited, so get yours A.S.A.P., and visit the official Facebook event page for more details! This should be an awesome concert, and while I'm too young to accurately speak on Random Killing's prior local shows, I've heard the great stories, and hopefully they deliver a great blast of punk rock on Saturday night! Besides, how often do bands that have appeared on Sesame Street come here? Come on out to welcome Andrew, Bob, and Garry home, and for a preview, here's Random Killing's video for "Patios & Beer"!



Finally for today, here's a new guitar/bass cover video from Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe guitarist Matt Parr! While currently busy with his London-based metal band Our Place Or Yours, he uploaded this double track cover of Enter Shikari's "Sorry, You're Not A Winner" to the H.M.M. YouTube channel on Tuesday. Solidly done and accurate to the original from what I can tell, but the tone of the tracks seems a bit off to me. Give it a look below though, keep an eye out for some amusing lyric cards, and visit the H.M.M. Soundcloud page to hear his new song idea "Formlessness", which is a nice heavy tech-metal instrumental that hopefully gets fleshed out further!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a likely new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!